Chapter 26: Family Dinner

SLOAN

I’m finishing up my makeup when I hear the doorbell for the first time. Luckily, Kade is downstairs so he’ll answer the door.

I fluff my hair a little and check for my bump in the mirror, then make my way downstairs.

“Sloan! Honey, come here.” My dad is standing with his arms outstretched, so I naturally walk into them.

“Honey, you look so pretty, I love this dress. What is going on tonight?” my mom adds while she hugs me.

I laugh. “Just wait until everyone gets here, Mom.”

The doorbell rings again, and when I answer it, I see Kade’s mom and two sisters.

“Oh, Sloan, you look so pretty!” Kade’s sister, Priya, gasps.

“Thank you, come in.”

Kade comes out from the kitchen and greets everyone, then I help him set the table. I just want to get on with dinner so we can tell everyone and stop being nervous.

Soon, Kade and I have set up a buffet on the counter, and everyone is sitting down to eat.

“What’s going on, guys?” Priya asks.

I giggle. “Wow, no small talk with you all, huh?”

“You called us here to talk about the wedding,” my mom insists.

“We fibbed,” Kade admits.

“Kade!” his mom, Carol, gasps.

He chuckles. “Just calm down.”

Kade looks at me with wide eyes, and I guess now is as good a time as any, so I stand up and hold his hand.

“Okay, everyone, we called you here to tell you that we’re expecting,” Kade announces proudly.

Everyone gasps or reacts loudly.

“There’s more…,” I admit. “I’m actually pretty far along; we’re due in four months.”

Everyone gets louder and rowdier; I can see Kade’s sister studying my waist.

Kade laughs. “Hey! Wait! Everyone, quiet!”

Everyone stops and stares at him; he squeezes my hand and looks into my eyes before he turns and says, “It’s a little girl.”

“Her name is Clover Mae,” I add.

By now, both moms are crying, my dad looks dumbfounded, and Kade’s sisters are squealing and talking about being hot aunts. Finally, everyone takes a breath.

“When did you find out?” Carol asks.

“I knew two days before he proposed but I didn’t tell him until after; turns out we both had surprises for each other that night,” I explain.

“But you’re that far along?” my mom says, her mouth agape.

After we answer a million questions, we finally get to eat, and then everyone gathers in the living room. I pull out the sonogram and pass it around, and everyone ‘ohs’ and ‘aws’.

“I can’t figure this out, Sloan; you’re so tiny,” Priya says.

“All I can tell you is to do Pilates,” I admit.

“Everything is okay though?” Kade’s other sister, Rhea, asks.

“Yes, they said we’re good. I’m having a full anatomy scan next week, but they don’t anticipate any issues.”

“When do you want to get married?” my mom asks.

“We think a month or two after Clover comes. By the time we could plan anything now, I’d be majorly showing and that’s not what I want.”

“I understand that, but right now, you are tiny. We could pull it off,” my mom says, persisting.

“Get married when? Like next week?” Kade laughs.

“Why not? Do you want a huge ceremony?” my dad asks.

“No, I don’t think so,” I say, and Kade nods in agreement.

Kade’s mom smiles. “Yes, get married next weekend then.”

“Sloan is sample size and she can get whatever dress she wants,” Rhea squeaks.

“Wait, really? I mean this is what I wanted but I didn’t know we could pull it off,” I admit.

“We can,” Kade smiles.

“All of us will help,” my mom adds.

Kade grins. “What do you say, baby? Marry me next weekend?”

“Of course, Kade. Can we really do this?”

“Look what you two did with the LILAC party in one week,” my mom reminds me.

“True.” I smile. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Everyone smiles and is happily chatting for a while, then they start to break apart, and my mom begins to pepper me with questions.

“Sloan, how do you feel about this, really?”

“Happy. I was worried about not being married before Clover came. I just want us all to be a family in name.”

“We’re going to pull this off. You have to give me Marlene’s number; we got along at your engagement party, but I didn’t get her info.”

After I answer all of my mom’s questions, we have a fun night, eating and hanging out with our family, but eventually, everyone leaves, and I’m left alone with Kade.

I sit on the couch with Kade’s head in my lap, his ear pressed to my belly.

I giggle. “Is she talking to you?”

“Not yet. I’m just waiting for her to move or something.”

“I felt a weird flutter earlier, but I figured it was nothing.”

“No, baby, flutters mean she’s starting to move. I read about it.”

“Aw, you’re already such a cute daddy.”

“And you are a beautiful mommy. I can’t believe I get to marry you next weekend.”

“I’m excited too. I guess we know our families will make it, but who else should we invite?”

“I don’t know. The band and Marlene and whoever else from LILAC.”

“Even though we don’t have concrete plans, we should probably invite people tomorrow. A week is already a really short time to expect them to save the date.”

He chuckles. “Whatever you say, baby, you’re the fancy event planner now.”

“I guess so.”

The night winds down while we cuddle and chat on the couch. It’s so nice that we live together now, and it makes me wonder why we didn’t do it sooner.

Later, as I fall asleep in his arms, I feel so content and happy. Everything is finally coming together.